Big Lagoon State Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Big Lagoon State Park
iucn_category = V

---

caption =
locator_x = 197
locator_y = 139
location = Escambia County, Florida, USA
nearest_city = Pensacola, Florida
lat_degrees = 30
lat_minutes = 19
lat_seconds = 15
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 87
long_minutes = 24
long_seconds = 11
long_direction = W
area =
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Florida Department of Environmental Protection

First acquired in 1977, Big Lagoon State Park is a convert|733|acre|km2|sing=on Florida State Park located on the northwestern Florida coast, approximately 10 miles southwest of Pensacola on Gulf Beach Highway. It encompasses the northern boundary of Big Lagoon as it snakes toward Pensacola Bay to the east. Wild Grande Lagoon and its minor tributaries lay within the boundaries of the park, as does the alligator-inhabited Long Pond that covers a coastal slough.

The park is a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail. It features four distinct natural communities including estuarine tidal marsh, mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, and is dominated by coastal scrub. The park features a number of threatened and endangered species such as the Eastern Indigo Snake, Gopher Tortoise, migratory shorebirds such as Snowy Plover, Least Tern among some twenty other listed species. There is a cultural resource present in the park listed by the Florida Master Site File.

From Big Lagoon, the Florida Park Service manages two neighboring state parks - Perdido Key State Park to the southwest and Tarkiln Bayou State Park to the north.

Recreational Activities

The park has such amenities as beaches along the shoreline of Big Lagoon, bicycling down the 2.6 mile park drive, boating from a 40-slip boat ramp, canoeing along Big Lagoon, fishing, hiking along 4 miles of trails, kayaking in Grande Lagoon, wildlife viewing from a four story observation tower and footbridge overlooks at Long Pond and Grande Lagoon, picnicking at 21 shelters, swimming in Big Lagoon and 75 electrified camping sites and a group camp.

References and external links

* [http://www.outdoorgulfcoast.com/mtree/parks/city-state-national-parks/ Northwest Florida Park Information]
* [http://www.floridastateparks.org/biglagoon/default.cfm Big Lagoon State Park] at [http://www.floridastateparks.org Florida State Parks]